Premise: A normal-looking woman has difficulties fitting in in the world of high fashion -- based on the wildly popul... Show More »

Ugly BettyComedy

Premise: A normal-looking woman has difficulties fitting in in the world of high fashion -- based on the wildly popular telenovela.

First Impressions: "Betty" may have some semblance of a built-in audience, if fans of the Spanish-language "Betty La Fea" are curious about the adaptation. And America Ferrera looks as charming here as she was in "Real Women Have Curves." But the way the clip package was put together, it was sometimes hard to tell when the audience is meant to laugh with her, or at her. That's not a good position to be in for a comedy heroine.

Premise: Pitched as "24" meets "Father of the Bride," the show chronicles one big day -- in this case, the wedding day -- i... Show More »

Big DayComedy

Premise: Pitched as "24" meets "Father of the Bride," the show chronicles one big day -- in this case, the wedding day -- in the life of a young couple.

First Impressions: After retooling "Jake in Progress" to remove its real-time aspect, ABC takes another crack at "24," The Comedy, with this show about a young couple on their wedding day. Like "Jake," Wendie Malick is in it, and like "Jake," there's only so much she can do to help. There are mildly amusing jokes about wedding music and Caesar salad, but if you've seen "Father of the Bride," you'll see a lot of the jokes coming from a good ways off.

Premise: Family secrets and lies are exposed when siblings come together to celebrate a birthday; soap... Show More »

Brothers & SistersDrama

Premise: Family secrets and lies are exposed when siblings come together to celebrate a birthday; soapy repercussions follow.

First Impressions: So indelible a character was Ally McBeal, it takes a second to adjust to the idea that Calista Flockhart is playing a woman who looks to have most of her wits about her in this show. Once you do, you remember that she's a pretty decent actress -- and she's surrounded by a fine cast that also includes Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin and Patricia Wettig. Yet despite the talent assembled and, from the little we saw, what looks like good writing, there's a feeling that this rather straightforward family story may get lost in a landscape of high-concept dramas.

Premise: A therapy group is led by a doctor who may be in the greatest need of therapy.

First Impressions: We think we may be ready to say that Ted Danson is cool again. This role looks to be a lot subtler than his misanthropic "Becker," and his supporting cast of that-guys and -girls looks like they'll be able to bring something to the piece too. We really hope that Jane Kaczmarek, who's a guest star in the pilot, sticks around, because the clips with her and Danson show what could be a great comedic chemistry. This show won't be for every taste, but it looks promising.

First Impressions: The best comedy ABC has on its schedule. Creators Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman have great fun with the conventions of the heist story, substituting a gang of shlubs for the suave Clooney types that you typically see in these types of stories. Donal Logue and the rest of the cast play it deadpan, allowing the absurdity of their actions to speak for itself. And Mick Jagger, playing himself as the target of the robbery scheme, is totally in on the joke. (Note: The title was changed from "Let's Rob ..." during the summer.)

Premise: After her wedding plans fall apart, a female relationship coach stays in Alaska and looks for love in chi... Show More »

Men in TreesDrama

Premise: After her wedding plans fall apart, a female relationship coach stays in Alaska and looks for love in chilly places.

First Impressions: "Sex and the Northern-Exposed City." Anne Heche pretty well nails the role of the best-selling advice author who realizes she maybe doesn't know too much about men after all. But we're not sure, after discovering this fact in a remote Alaskan town, why she decides to stick around. Until someone tells us, we're not sold.

Premise: Nine people deal with the aftereffects of being held hostage during a bank robbery.

First Impressions: We've liked this idea -- what happens to nine people's lives after they experience a trauma -- since we first heard about it early on in pilot season. The execution looks pretty strong too. The setup should provide a wealth of story-telling possibilities, and creators K.J. and Hank Steinberg appear to have taken some time defining their characters. Eager to see the full pilot.

Premise: An expecting couple sees how preparations to have a baby change their own rela... Show More »

Notes from the UnderbellyComedy

Premise: An expecting couple sees how preparations to have a baby change their own relationship and their relationship with their friends.

First Impressions: There's a seed of a good show there, maybe, but it also feels a little too self-consciously quirky to really hold your attention. Some of the observations about married life and the onset of parenthood are sharp, but there wasn't an immediate connection with the central couple. It's also a show without any big stars to pull people in, which will make for tough going on the highly competitive Thursday-night schedule.

Premise: The lives of several New Yorkers intersect, even though they don't know each other.

First Impressions: Still waiting for them, actually. We know it's from J.J. Abrams, which is good, and that its cast includes Campbell Scott, Hope Davis and Erika Christensen, which is also a plus. But ABC opted to do a music video of scenes from the pilot rather than anything that gives a sense of who these characters are. So we'll reserve judgment until we hear them speak.

Premise: A cop relives the same day over and over, searching for clues about who framed him for a murder.

First Impressions: Cross "Groundhog Day" with "The Fugitive" and you have a sense of this show's premise. The idea of reliving a day, altering your actions to affect the outcome, is an intriguing one, and throwing in a murder frame-up only adds to the stakes. Still, unless it's very carefully plotted, this is the kind of concept that can run off the rails really quickly.

Premise: Four friends from high school are reunited and discover that their lives hadn&... Show More »

In Case of EmergencyMidseason Comedy

Premise: Four friends from high school are reunited and discover that their lives hadn't turned out exactly as planned.

First Impressions: ABC has been high on this show for some time, but the early evidence doesn't suggest exactly why. We get that these people's lives aren't what they hoped for, but we don't see a whole lot of evidence of them trying to change. It feels more like a show where you'd be inclined to go, "Oh, that's funny" rather than laugh.

Premise: Two friends go on the run when they become suspects in a terrorist bombing. Who will trust them? How ca... Show More »

TravelerMidseason Drama

Premise: Two friends go on the run when they become suspects in a terrorist bombing. Who will trust them? How can their clear their names?

First Impressions: It has one of the cooler setups -- regular guys framed for a terrorist attack -- and an attention-grabbing opening. As with a lot of shows of this ilk, though, the real verdict will come farther down the line. We're intrigued enough to want to see the full pilot, but it's hard to judge a serialized conspiracy thriller based on a two-minute trailer.